A Question About Health Insurance

First of all, I understand that different companies have different policies and stuff, I'm just asking in general.

So, to start off, in about 3 months, as long as I do as amazing asi know I will, I will finally be able to get health insurance. First time I will ever have it. Its rather exciting.

Now, my question is about how these insurance companies view "pre-existing conditions". I will use myself as an example. Thanks to about 12 years (started when I was 15) of working long hours on my feet on concrete my knees are developing issues. Based on my own research my guess is I'm developing arthritis. this problem has been around for quite some time, but I have never seen a doctor over it due to lack of money and insurance.

So, since its never been diagnosed, does that make it a "new" condition? Do they normally look at medical records when deciding these things, or does a doctor just say "holy shit, this has gone unchecked forever" and that's all it takes?

I don't know the nuances of these things because I've never been able to afford it before. Even with my new job, however, it still will be completely unaffordable to pay for healthcare related to my problems without insurance. Even then its going to be difficult, but hopefully doable. I thought perhaps some of you could shed some light on this for me.

 

It all depends on the Doc., if he/she feels you have had the condition before you signed up for your insurance it will most likely be "pre-existing". That being said, this problem is being addressed by the new healthcare act, ask your doc about it as I am not sure when that particular aspect of the law goes into place.

 

Ah, ok. Thanks! Tbh, I don't have a steady doctor, so it will just have to be whoever gets the honor once I've got the insurance.

It just seems so douche-y to me. I can't afford healthcare normally. I already have to pay for insurance to get a discount. Yet, even after I pay for it I can't get healthcare because I was already sick? What if someone switches companies?

It doesn't make sense to me. in the last 5 years I've seen a doctor 3 times. If my life or someone elses is not in danger I don't go, because it just adds to the thousands I already owe hospitals that I can't pay for emergency care in the past. Because of the lack of health care, its likely that anything a doctor could treat me for would be considered pre-existing.

I just don't get it.

 

Its simple. Healthcare is a for profit industry. If you get sick, they lose money; the greater the chance of you getting sick, the more money an insurance company stands to loose. Hence you either pay insane premiums, or are uninsurable.

 

As of July 1 2010, options for affordable health insurance due to a pre-existing condition are available to anyone who's been denied coverage for six months or so. In 2014, denial to anyone with a pre-existing condition will be illegal.

 

Just go to the free clinic like I do.

 

Generally when you start a new jobs and HR gives you all the paperwork with the benefits including the insurance premiums cost and policy outline. You just need to look up pre-existing conditions and see what their policy says. Chances are you won't have much of a wait since it's a group policy. I'm too tired/lazy to get out mine now but I can look tomorrow and see how it reads for an example for you.

 

Question tho: if its not a diagnosed condition, is it really considered a "pre-existing condition"?
You can have issues w no real symptoms for example.

I would not share too much detail on the paperwork without fibbing. Just dont offer extra information. If you have knee issues but has not been diagnosed. I would consider that a "no". I mean, you may not have had any symptoms.

In my view, this would then not be a pre-existing condition as it was never diagnosed or treated. I mean, this is a fuzzy condition that is not as clear cut such walking around w a compound fracture etc. I mean clear issues that the pts clearly would be aware of. I am not sure knee issues belongs there as some people actually may not even be aware of such things.

If a pts say, I have had pain in my knees for a while but just brushed it off as nothing important, I think that probably would be taken as that and not then considered a pre-existing condition as it was never diagnosed or treated.



?

I had something similar when I was without insurance for a while. I just waited until I was covered and I brought it up then. Even though it was clear I had had my issue for a while, it was never considered a pre-existing condition as it wasnt Dx'd or Tx'd.